Children rush to weakened Prince Rainier's bedside

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Prince Rainier, the ruler of Monaco, is in the intensive care
unit of a hospital in his wealthy statelet on the French Riviera in
a condition described as "stable", sources said yesterday.

The 81-year-old prince, one of the world's longest reigning
monarchs, was rushed into the resuscitation ward of Monaco's
cardio-thoracic centre on Tuesday after his health abruptly
deteriorated.

He has been in the centre since March 7 for treatment of a
recurrent respiratory problem.

Rainier's three children by the late US film star Grace Kelly -
Prince Albert and princesses Caroline and Stephanie - rushed to his
bedside. Caroline came from Paris and Albert from Italy, a family
source said.

They were followed by Monaco's archbishop, Bernard Barsi, and
the parish priest of the principality's cathedral, Father Philippe
Blanc. The two have often visited Prince Rainier in hospital in the
past.

The sources close to the palace, declining to be identified,
would not give details as to Prince Rainier's condition beyond
saying it was "stable", or unchanged since he was taken to the
intensive care unit.

A statement from the palace on Tuesday said: "After several days
of care which saw a clear improvement, a relapse of a lung
infection has required a transfer to the intensive care unit."

Prince Albert is next in line to take power in Monaco when
Prince Rainier dies. His father has increasingly delegated
responsibilities to him over the past few years.

Prince Rainier's cardiac ailments first came to light in 1994,
when he underwent a double bypass. Since then, he has been admitted
to hospital five times. In 2000, he had part of a lung removed.

Prince Rainier III ascended to power in the tiny Mediterranean
territory in 1949, three years before Queen Elizabeth II took the
throne of England.

He became the darling of the jet set, and the people columns of
the world media, when he married actress Grace Kelly in 1956.

She died in a car crash in 1982.

Monaco was founded when Rainier's Grimaldi dynasty took control
of the principality in 1297. The family was deposed after the
French revolution when Monaco was united with France, but restored
under the Franco-Monegasque treaty of 1861.

The statelet has a population of around 32,000, many of them
ultra-rich residents enjoying its tax-haven status.